Freebrough Academy, Cleveland

Students at the new Freebrough Academy near Middlesbrough can now enjoy their school meals in attractive, comfortable surroundings thanks to the installation of iQ Granit flooring from Tarkett. The specialist Business and Enterprise Academy first opened in 2010, with the new restaurant extension completed in time for the start of this school year.

The restaurant provides a school breakfast club, break time snacks and a wide range of healthy lunch options, with a large seating area. The original specification for the flooring was to be carpet tiles, but Redcar and Cleveland Council decided to change this to vinyl. They appointed CarpetCraft Flooring Ltd to carry out the installations, who were then instrumental in recommending the Tarkett iQ range for the project.

Mark Lilleker of CarpetCraft explains: “We were delighted the Council opted for vinyl instead of carpet tiles and we had no hesitation in recommending Tarkett. We felt the iQ range performed better in every aspect, including handling, fitting and welding, and how it looks and performs once installed. It looks great for years and offers really easy cleaning and maintenance, which is so important for schools.”

As part of Tarkett’s highly successful iQ Range, Granit offers one of the best life cycle costs on the market together with outstanding quality, performance and design characteristics. Made from high-quality raw materials, iQ Granit features a 3rd generation PUR surface reinforcement that guarantees no wax or polish will ever be needed. The exclusive construction of iQ Granit also enables Unique Surface Restoration whereby it is possible to fully restore the flooring surface to its original appearance and properties with simple dry buffing, giving extreme longevity and minimising maintenance costs. The iQ PUR means iQ flooring requires only minimal maintenance. This not only eases the burden on cleaning staff, but also reduces the consumption of water, detergents and energy when cleaning.

For the new restaurant, around 750m2 of iQ Granit in two complementary colours were used to create curves in the flooring that mirror the ceiling line. The installation was then completed using Tarkett’s new multicoloured weld rods to ensure invisible joins throughout. Mark noted: “The new weld rods are spot on as the joins can’t be seen, and everyone is delighted with the overall finish.”